A mountain lion attacked an unidentified man last weekend in Colorado while relaxing with his wife in a hot tub.
Per reports, at approximately 10 p.m., the man says he felt something grab his head. He and his wife began screaming and throwing water at the animal. His wife shined a flashlight in his direction, revealing the attacking animal to be a mountain lion.
The noise and light caused the animal to retreat, allowing the couple to return to the safety of their home. Once inside, they cleaned the man’s injuries and reported the attack.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) arrived at the scene but could not locate the mountain lion or determine the direction it had traveled due to weather conditions.
According to Yahoo Life, CPW noted that they believed it was a case of a mistaken attack as the hot tub was in-ground, and the animal potentially didn’t realize it was attacking a human.
The victim suffered a minimal injury and refused medical treatment.
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“The victim had four superficial scratches on top of his head and near his right ear,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a statement. “By the time CPW was alerted and responded, the victim had cleaned the wounds and declined any medical assistance. The officers determined the injuries were consistent with the claws of a mountain lion.”
“We think it’s likely the mountain lion saw the man’s head move in the darkness at ground level but didn’t recognize the people in the hot tub,” said Sean Shepard, Area Wildlife Manager. “The couple did the right thing by making noise and shining a light on the lion.”
The attack still concerns residents, as mountain lion and human interactions increase in frequency. In January 2023, two mountain lions were killed after they attacked pets.
According to the Coloradoan, there were 787 mountain lion incident reports in Colorado for 2022. These reports range from sightings to aggressive behavior and property damage.
CPW has published a guide of recommendations for residents regarding mountain lions. Best practices include traveling in groups through wilderness areas while making ample noise.
If you encounter a mountain lion, CPW recommends making noise and slowly backing away from the animal. If the animal follows you, continue to back away while yelling and throwing stones or other objects to deter the mountain lion.
